Maryanne Reed, dean of the Reed College of Media, has been named WVU's provost and vice president of academic affairs, succeeding Joyce McConnell in that office.
Maryanne Reed, who transformed West Virginia University’s journalism school into an exemplar of modern media training as the Reed College of Media, was named provost and vice president for academic affairs of the University on Wednesday (April 17).
Reed, who became dean of the then-named P.I. Reed School of Journalism in 2004, succeeds Joyce McConnell, recently named president of Colorado State University.
“Maryanne has demonstrated throughout her career, first as an award-winning documentarian then as a visionary academic leader, that she is always looking ahead and is willing to take the necessary steps to lead into the future – even if there is some risk involved,” President Gordon Gee said in announcing her appointment. “I am confident her ability to see trends, ask the hard questions and move quickly to innovate will be of great benefit to this University as we move forward.”
Reed, who is not related to P.I. Reed, joined the faculty in 1993 after a career as a broadcast reporter and producer, with several award-winning documentaries and long-form stories for regional and national television to her credit. In her 15 years as dean, the college has experienced record enrollment in its graduate and undergraduate programs, including its master’s degree program in Integrated Marketing Communications, the nation’s first online IMC graduate program.
Reed is a nationally recognized academic leader, having served as president of the Association of Schools of Journalism and Mass Communication in 2016-17. She also was the national 2016 “Scripps Howard Administrator of the Year.” She was named a “West Virginia Wonder Woman” in 2016 by WV Living Magazine, and is a recipient of the West Virginia Associated Press Broadcasters Association’s “Significant Achievement in Service to the State” award. She was also named one of the top 20 innovators in journalism education by the future-of-media blog, MediaShift.
Reed was tapped to lead WVU’s largest college, the Eberly College of Arts and Sciences, as interim dean from 2015-2016.
Under her leadership, the Reed College has become a national leader in educating the next generation of digital journalists, schooled in using the latest in technology to perform the critical job of reporting the news. It has also broadened its public relations and general communications programs in recognition of the important role those skills play in the workplace. As part of that emphasis, the school opened the Media Innovation Center in 2016, a state-of-the-art media lab.
To reflect that transition, the P.I. Reed School of Journalism became the Reed College of Media in 2014.
“I am thrilled to be asked to serve as provost,” Reed said. “In my 15 years as dean, I've had the good fortune of working with several excellent provosts who have been leadership role models, including Joyce McConnell. I have a lot to live up to, but I’m up for the challenge.”
“I’m also excited to work with President Gee and to help implement his vision to transform the University and make it one of the most exciting land-grant universities in the country — one that is vital to its students and to the citizens of the state. I look forward to working with faculty, students and the entire administrative team to chart the best way forward.”
Noting that several top academic positions are currently held by interims, Reed said her top priority would be solidifying academic leadership.
Her appointment is effective July 1.
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jb/04/17/19
CONTACT John A. Bolt
University Relations/Office of Communications
304.293.5520; jabolt@mail.wvu.edu
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